A myriad of packages exist for containing materials that flow (generally referred to herein as "fluids"), such as beverages, soaps, foods, powders and chemicals, among many others. These packages are filled with the fluids through openings, such as that provided at the finish area of bottles. These openings are then sealed for distribution of the packages. The sealing is generally done with a closure, of which there are a large number of different types.
In the beverage industry, closures used for many packages, including bottles, are generally of the screw-on type, and may be repeatedly removed and resealed. Recently, however, an increasing number of beverage closures include dispensing valves that allow the beverages to flow through the closure for consumption, without removal of the closure. The most widely used dispensing closure is the pull-push dispensing closure, similar to that used on many liquid dish-washing soap packages.
The pull-push closure, however, has significant drawbacks. For example, it requires the user to manually pull the spout open and closed. Also, if the user does not close the spout, the package will leak, since the spout has no valve to automatically reseal.
A self-closing dispensing valve has been developed for use with fluids other than those suitable for consumption, for example for use with liquid soaps and lotions. Such a self-closing valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,236, issued on May 25, 1993 to Brown et al., entitled "DISPENSING VALVE FOR PACKAGING." However, the packages and closures used in connection with such dispensing valves have not been designed for aseptic, hot fill, or other cold-filled preserved products.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a dispensing valve closure that is self-sealing (also referred to as self-closing), and that is suitable for use in the food and beverage industries.